This invention relates to a process for preparing silica-alumina compositions. In one aspect, this invention relates to a process for preparing silica-alumina suitable as an acidic catalyst material. In yet another aspect, this invention relates to the use of silica-alumina compositions as catalysts for hydrocarbon conversion reactions.
Numerous processes for making silica-alumina compositions, suitable as catalysts or catalyst supports, are known. Some of these processes comprise the step of first forming a silica gel and then precipitating aluminum hydroxide onto the silica gel. Other processes comprise the step of mixing a silicate solution and an aluminum salt solution and then adjusting the pH of the mixture so as to coprecipitate a silica-alumina hydrogel. But there is an ever present need to find simpler and thus less expensive processes for making silica-alumina compositions than presently known processes and to prepare silica-alumina compositions that are more active as catalysts in specific reactions.